Delirium
by RaspberryDevil
Summary: InaGO: It's always difficult to know what you want though your subconscious mind shows you some illusions, the things you want secretly, which makes things easier. Kirino/Kariya - BL - Onesided KyouTen - Hinted KyouTaku
1. During the Delirium

Hey there :3

Finally finished this story. I wrote over two months on it, but still I'm not overall satisfied though I don't want to write on it any longer. So please forgive any grammar mistakes/typos or tell me them :'D Again, a Kirino/Kariya fic, forgive me :'3 So, have fun... Oh, and when you don't like it, just don't leave a comment like "Oh noz, what haz you done to my cutiez!" Thank you. Oh, and I appreciate any form of critism :3

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><p>He was drunk. He was definitely drunk. Otherwise he couldn't explain this unbearable headache or his aching stomach which gave him the feeling that he had to vomit any seconds. Don't forget to mention it as the reason why he would allow the other one to touch him like that. He would have stopped the older male long ago, would have slapped his hands from his waist and thrust him aside to get rid of his lips which caressed his neck if he hadn't been influenced by this devilish liquid. "Enjoying it, Kariya?" "Y-yes." Of course, both of them were drunk. Because Kirino would never do something like this to him if he wasn't, would he? "Stop it", he whispered, not really convincing enough so that Kirino asked for a reason. "We're drunk." Kirino chuckled softly. "We're not." Silence. The older one dropped out his actions to look Kariya in the eyes. Turquoise meet gold-brown and Kariya recognised that Kirino's eyes glinted with relish – at least he thought so; or was it just his imagination? He hadn't much time to think about it any further because Kirino was getting closer till Kariya was actually able to see his long eyelashes. "We are sober", Kirino whispered before he closed his eyes and leant in for a kiss. <em>" – ya!" <em>

The younger boy was not sure how to react but one thing came to his mind: Whatever caused Kirino to do this, it was also the source of his headache. "Hey, don't think too much", Kirino smiled while he pressed his fingertips carefully against Kariya's temple. The latter one couldn't help but sigh contently because the pain faded away, though he was still in agony due to his aching stomach. As if he could read his mind, Kirino let his hand run over Kariya's jaw, down his chest till it lay one his stomach, fondling it carefully as if it would take the pain away. _"– riya?" _

Much to his dismay, Kariya started to enjoy the other one's touch and closed his eyes – just to open them in the next moment, followed by a gasp as he felt Kirino's hand further down in a place where he had never expected to be touched by him – not that he had thought about this idea anyway. "Settle back, I'll take good care of you." The pink-haired boy smiled and Kariya didn't lose the feeling that something went definitely wrong. "Don't." Again, he heard him chuckle in a way that sent pleasant shivers down his back. "What about Shindou?", Kariya wanted to know after Kirino send him this enquiring glance from before. "He is not here. And he won't know about it. And even if, why would he – no, why should I care?" "Because you love him", he wanted to answer, but in the next moment he felt an intense pressure on his shoulders. _"Kariya!" _

Startled, Kariya looked in the concerned eyes of Hikaru whose hands lay on his shoulders. "Thank god, you're finally awake. We were really worried about you." Groaning, Kariya sat up and rubbed his eyes. His vision was blurry and so he needed a while till he recognised where he was. A bed which was definitely not his and a room he didn't know – great conditions to wake up. His eyes wandered around this foreign room, even if he had problems to keep them open. Nevertheless he tried his best to fight against the fatigue, rubbing his heavy eyelids before he spotted Ichino as well as Aoyama, who stood next to Hikaru, watching him with concern. "What happened?", he asked, rather surprised that his voice worked even if his throat felt dry and his tongue seemed to weight too much to actually speak with it. However, Hikaru was rather confused and looked at him with widened eyes. "Eh, you don't know?" "In the middle of the evening, you just passed out with a high temperature and knocked your head", Ichino explained after a while instead of Hikaru who was kind of speechless. "And just now, a shiver crept over you so we thought it would be better if we wake you up", Hikaru said when he found his words again.

Right, now he remembered. It was Tsurugi's seventeenth birthday and – after he gave in to Tenma's persuasion – he invited the whole team over to his house. It was quite amply and even if Tsurugi was not fond of a party at his house, he provided his guests well. Kariya sighed wearily, tightening the blanket around himself. This damn headache – he felt as if his head would explode and to make it even worse, his eyes burnt so that he had to close them in order to lower the pain.

"Here you are. Amagi-san is looking for you." Kariya flinched and flicked his eyes open as he heard Kirino's voice. He was the last person he wanted to see, especially after this odd dream. "Oh, you're awake." The young boy cursed inwardly nevertheless he looked at Kirino, trying to get away from him as soon as possible. "Yes, I am. If you would excuse me now...", he said hoarsely and wanted to get up but was pushed down by Kirino as well as Hikaru. "You should stay in bed, or else your fever won't decrease." Kariya paused when Aoyama said this – what was this guy doing here? Of course, over the years he loosen up and made friends with more people – which was mostly due to Tenma – but this didn't mean he was close friends with Aoyama or Ichino. To say it simply, they got along, nothing more. "Be thankful, they put you to bed, changed your clothes and took care of you till now", Kirino remarked so that Kariya's eyes narrowed – they changed his clothes? He was not prude or ashamed of his body but he just couldn't stand the fact that someone else dared to undress him. "Come on, you two. Let's see what Amagi-san wants", Hikaru laughed sheepishly while he pushed them towards the door as if he could read the mind of Kariya – who was about to strangle the older ones.

"Don't be mad. They are simply concerned – you were drenched in sweat because of your fever." Kirino's words pulled him back to reality which was worse than he had thought; they were alone. He and Kirino. Alone. The same situation as in his dream. Kariya could slap himself – as if Kirino would be this intimate with him all of a sudden. It was just a dream, he reminded himself, in which people always acted different than they used to. Right. He was a teenager who just had dreams like that. It was coincidence that it was Kirino but it could have been somebody else, too. Besides this, it was not his Senpai but another person who solely looked like his Senpai. Exactly. So there was nothing to worry about. After all it was just a delirium. Satisfied with this conclusion, Kariya nodded.

"Deep in thoughts? That's unlike you. Are you sure, you're fine?", Kirino asked worriedly. "Of course I am", he said, trying to get his act together. "And shouldn't you be with Shindou?" A smile appeared on his lips – now he had a possibility to keep him at arm's length even if he had to go back to his old self and annoy his Senpai. "In the meantime, he might be together with Akane-san." Kirino send him a confused glance which calmed Kariya, but he was smiling in the next moment. "Do you want to make me jealous?" "W-why should I?", he almost screamed, his face redden due to his embarrassment. "I don't know. I never understood your actions."

Kirino didn't lie, Kariya was well aware of that fact. His pranks lessened over the years, but he hadn't explained why he had done all the things to his Senpai, eventually he forgot the reason himself anyway. And even if they didn't became friends, they also didn't distance themselves from each other until the day when Kariya changed their relationship – at least in his mind.

On this day, Midori said to Tenma "You've grown up, haven't you?" though Kariya wasn't sure if she was honest or just teasing the other one. Nevertheless, the defender who never really had paid attention to the look of the others glanced at his teammates. But even when he recognised how they've grown up – especially Kurama and Shinsuke – nobody awoke his interest besides three people: Hikaru, Shindou and Kirino.

Hikaru became his friend and was the first one he admitted to trust so it was naturally that he didn't ignore his look. And Shindou... after all the time, he was still their captain and – hell, why was he lying to himself? Shindou was the person Kirino paid the most attention to so he wanted to know if he was worth looking at. And as far as he could say, he was. He wondered if this was the reason the others liked him so much. This consideration made him feel sick all of the sudden, though before he could think about this any longer, he glanced at Kirino. He had to admit that his Senpai was attractive. Very attractive. He might be rather short in comparison to Shindou or Tsurugi, but he was still taller than Kariya. Above all, his eyes where clear and even when they didn't glint like they did in his dream, they surely seemed to shine.

"Kariya, you're spacing out." The younger one didn't respond, instead he grabbed Kirino by his collar and dragged the older one towards himself to look him in the eyes. "Indeed. They are really shining." Although Kirino was surprised, he still managed to free himself and to push the smaller one down. "You should sleep, your fever let you talk nonsense." Nonsense? Yeah, he might be right but it didn't matter. As far as it concerned Kariya, he didn't want to sleep. "You had a tough day. Tsurugi offered that you could stay overnight till Hitomiko-san pick you up tomorrow", he continued just to avoid any other reaction similar to the one before. To support his statement, he closed the door and covered Kariya up so that he couldn't escape. "Fine." With an unsatisfied hum, he gave in, closed his eyes and rolled aside, facing the opposite wall.

The pink-haired male stayed by his side for a while and watched him till the door opened. "Kirino?", Shindou asked carefully, entering the room quietly when he saw that Kariya slept. "I just wanted to inform you that I leave." The defender looked at the clock to see if it was already this late. Indeed, it was almost midnight and he wondered why Shindou was allowed to stay this long anyway. Not that his parents were strict, rather they were really worried about their son, even when he was already eighteen. "Okay." "Should we bring you home?", Shindou asked him, knowing that his chauffeur had to make a detour. But the men knew Kirino and as long as he was the best friend of the "young lord" – as Kirino liked to call his friend to tease him sometimes – he had no problems to drive a longer way. It was really late, he thought, so it was better than walking. That's why Kirino tended to accept his offer, but Kariya had different plans. "You cannot go. You promised me to stay." The older male was confused when he saw that Kariya had been awake all the time even more when he realised what the younger one had said. "You mustn't break your promise, Kirino", Shindou warned his friend who was too surprised to answer anything. "Get well soon! I see you two on Monday at school", their captain said, not realising what was going on. And in the next moment, he was gone.

Silence spread, until it was broken by Kirino's sigh. "Kariya, you never change, will you?" "Stay", Kariya told him, sounding more desperate than he intended. "You are serious, are you?" The other one nodded eagerly, so that Kirino sat acquiescently down at the bedside. Being at one with the world, Kariya closed his eyes and made it himself comfortable. He didn't know why, but the company of his Senpai made him happy. Really happy. And finally, he was able to drift off, leaving reality a second time.

Even if the bed was big enough for both of them, Kirino asked Tsurugi – who just entered the room – for a futon. The forward didn't question why he wanted to watch besides Kariya's bed, instead he fulfilled his wish and even brought him a pyjama to sleep in. "Want to call your parents?", Tsurugi asked monotonously. "I don't need to, they are not home today", Kirino said, thanking him in the next moment that he was allowed to stay over the night. "No need to thank me", Tsurugi said, looking at the sleeping figure. "I still don't understand why he came. He should have known that you would have been fine if he hadn't came. A fever is nothing to be taken lightly", Kirino mumbled while following Tsurugi's glance. Now, the latter one starred at the defender, raising an eyebrow. "He likes you." "Excuse me?" "He likes you, that's why he came." The defender didn't know if he should laugh or be confused – he decided for both. "If you don't believe me, talk to him tomorrow. Good night", Tsurugi said, leaving the room. Kirino stayed quiet for a while not knowing how to handle the situation. Suppressing a sigh, he changed his clothes and turned off the lights before he crawled under the duvet, trying to sleep at least a bit.

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><p>The morning came to soon to actually grasp it. The night had been cold and Kirino hadn't slept very well even if he wore the comfortable pyjama he borrowed from Tsurugi's brother. He had spent most of the time to think about Kariya. He liked him, this was for sure – but just as much as the other first-years. Frankly, he wasn't too sure about the last part anymore. He did feel something when the younger one was near him and he definitely liked this feeling; but was it really love? Shifting movements to his left let him look up and the view of a dozy Kariya elicited him a small laugh. "What are you laughing at?", the younger one grumbled dozily. Noting that Kariya didn't seem to be a morning person, he got up and sat down at Kariya's bedside, ignoring his question. "Did you sleep well?" The younger one yawned but nodded slightly, getting up in a sitting position. At least someone who could sleep, Kirino thought, not knowing that Kariya had his special dream again. Two times in a row, and if Kariya hadn't been so stubborn, he would have believed that he actually felt something for the other one. Kirino looked at him, suddenly remembering his talk with Tsurugi. Why not, he thought, shifting closer to Kariya who was not sure what his Senpai intended to do. "Say, why did you come?", he asked without hesitation. "None of your business." ".?" "None of –" "It is my business. If it was my fault, I will make it up to you." Surprised by this sudden words, Kariya looked at him in bewilderment. What should he say? That he was scared of the thought that his Senpai and his captain could get closer? No, that sounded way too wrong, as if he was jealous. He wasn't jealous, he just was... before he could finish his thought, another one crossed his mind. "You'll do anything?" Kariya voiced this question without thinking any further about it and it came too sudden for Kirino to understand it. This gave him the possibility to change the question, but when Kirino asked if he had heard wrong, he repeated it verbatim. "If you tell me the reason, I will", the older one said hesitantly. "Because of you." "I beg your pardon?" "Couldn't have let you snuggle with the captain", he simply explained. Kirino would have expected to see his typical smile which implied that he was teasing him – but his face was serious, more serious than he had ever seen him. "You do love him, right?" "Why do you think that?" "You are always right besides each other. Always." Kirino wondered, if they really gave that impression, but pushed this thought aside. The relationship between Shindou and him didn't concern Kariya so there was no need to deepen the topic. "He is a precious friend of mine and I value our friendship like no other, but I'm not in love with him", Kirino explained, feeling rather awkward to talk about it. Kariya blinked – had his assumption been false all the time? If Kirino and Shindou weren't in love with each other, would it change the relationship between him and his Senpai? With his dream in mind, he couldn't say 'no', however he hoped that his next step would bring assurance. "I told you the reason. Now I am allowed to request something."<p>

Not sure if it really was the reason why he had come – though it seemed to fit with Tsurugi's statement like a puzzle – Kirino nodded, kind of interested what he wanted. Kariya already knew it, but before he asked his Senpai, he needed to persuade himself – the next move he was going to do was just to satisfy his curiosity. He wanted to know if the things which the person – he still negate that it was Kirino – of his dream did would really arouse him. Nothing more. No feelings affected his next move. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Kirino. "Kiss me." "What?" The words left his lips before he could fully understand the other's wish. "Kiss me!", he repeated, this time with more pressure. "Is your fever still that bad?" "No, I'm fine." To prove his words, Kariya took Kirino's hand and lay it on his forehead which was rather cold in comparison to yesterday. "Why –" "You promised. You mustn't break your promise, Kirino", he said, imitating Shindous way of talking. Seeing his stern, almost yearning expression and realising that nobody would find out about it afterwards, Kirino followed his wish. "Fine, if you insist." "I do." Kirino wasn't sure about his motivations and before he was able change his opinion, Kariya's lips lay already on his. The kiss was supposed to end soon, should be too short to grasp the emotions of it but as Kariya pulled back, Kirino automatically followed his motion, continuing the kiss.

"Senpai", he mumbled, when they parted, not averting his glance. "Kariya, you –" "Hitomiko-san is here!" The boys flinched as Tenma opened the door and moved quickly apart. Tenma – as naively as ever – entered the room, not noticing what happened and with a happiness that made Kariya sick. "Matsukaze, knock before you enter a room", Kirino lectured him, trying to hide his blush. "Ah, sorry", he laughed, looking at Kariya afterwards. "Do you feel better?" "Yes, thank you." The smile he sent him reminded Kirino of the fact that Kariya was still able to pretend to be someone else. Because of this Kirino was in doubt about the true intention behind the kiss and if he wanted to admit it or not, that was disappointing. He enjoyed the kiss too much for his own liking. This was definitely not good, he thought, trying to ignore this strange feeling he got due to the kiss. "I'll go to the bathroom", he stuttered abruptly, before he got up, grabbed his clothes and left quickly the room. "Is it just me or acted Kirino-senpai weird?", Tenma asked Kariya. The defender just shrugged, not wanting to tell him the truth; he wouldn't comprehend it anyway. "Is something wrong?", Kariya asked, when Tenma starred at him for a while. "Heh, are you sure you're okay? Your face is all red." "I don't know what you mean." Turning his head so that Tenma couldn't see his face anymore, Kariya searched for an excuse, choosing the only option he had. "What are you doing here anyway?" "Me? I stayed over night, just like you", he answered cheerfully and when Kariya asked where he had slept, he answered with the same tone as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Together with Tsurugi in his bed." Kariya couldn't deny that Tenma really gave one a tough time with his simple-heartedness.

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><p>On the way to the bathroom, Kirino encountered Tsurugi who was – just like Kariya – seemingly not a morning person. "Did you sleep well?", the forward asked, suppressing a yawn. "Yes." No need for him to know the truth, Kirino thought. "What about you?", he asked, hoping that this small talk distracted him. But Tsurugi who just wasn't the most talkative person around only hummed. Smiling slightly, Kirino was about to continue his way, when Tsurugi's question hold him off. "Did you talk to him?" Thinking that he owed him an answer if he didn't want to be ungrateful, Kirino nodded. "And?" The defender wondered where this sudden interest came from partly because Tsurugi never seemed to be interested in other businesses. Or maybe... he just wanted confirmation? Not looking him in the eyes, Kirino answered him, redden a bit. "You were right." "Thought so. And?" "Nothing. I guess..." Tsurugi looked at him for a while till he averted his glance and continued his way – and Kirino was grateful for this.<p>

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><p>"Good morning, Kirino-kun." He had often heard about Hitomiko, but had never seen her in person. Now, that she stood in front of him, he wondered what kind of person she was – he wanted to know how Kariya was able to keep his mistrustful character although she cared about him. "Good morning. It is nice to meet you", Kirino said, bowing towards her. "Thank you for taking care of him", she said, pointing at Kariya who sat already in the car. "Shall I drive you home?" "Thank you for this offer, but I reject. I live just a few streets away." Kirino wanted to accept her offer, really – walking home was too stressful for his tired muscles – but being together with Kariya was nothing he could deal with right now. His mind was too busy to comprehend his feelings towards the younger one. "Alright. It was nice to meet you after all", she smiled, confusing the defender. Why would she want to meet him? "He was talking about you and his other teammates, so I got interested", she chuckled to erase his confusion. Frankly, whenever Kariya felt asleep on the couch, he mumbled quietly the name of his Senpai, so she looked forward to the guy who awoke the interest of Kariya. And it was kind of interesting, she thought smilingly. As soon as they would be home she would ask Hiroto to give Kariya a talk about protection. Chuckling about the image of an embarrassed Kariya, she went to the car, turning around a last time. "I know that Kariya can be troublesome sometimes, but please take care of him." "Sure." Waving, he watched how the car started till it disappear from his sight. Sighing, he went straight home.<p>

"What have I got myself into?"

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><p>Ans that's it :3 Hope you liked this weird story~ And I hope that the Rantaku fans will forgive me...<p>

Bye for now :3


	2. Consequences of the Delirium

Hey there :3

Yes, here is a second chapter, and no, it wasn't planned. Lately I wanted to write another Ranmasa story but had no "new" plot, so I thought "Your las story had an open ending, why not continue it?" And this is what I've done. Only problem: I ship KyouTaku instead of KyouTen now. How I "solved" this? You'll see if you read it~

I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you, have fun :3

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><p>It was suspicious. Really suspicious. Kariya peeked carefully around the corner to see Hiroto sitting in the main hall with Midorikawa standing next to him. It wasn't uncommon for those two to visit Sun Garden but something he couldn't name alerted the young boy. "Ah, Masaki, I was looking for you." Hearing Hitomiko's voice, Kariya turned around only to be pushed towards the young men. "Good afternoon, Kariya", Hiroto greeted them and now Kariya realised what seemed wrong – they were quite, too quite. Normally, the former forward used to talk with the other children and chased them around the building; much to Hitomiko's dismay. Though this time he didn't do anything, except... waiting. "Maybe we should talk elsewhere." He didn't like this idea. He didn't like this at all. Especially when he was left alone with the red haired male and a cup of tea (Valerian, he could tell from the smell, which made his suspicion grew even more).<p>

"How old are you now?" This sudden question took Kariya by surprise but even so, Hiroto continued without an answer. "I guess old enough to be taught a few... _things_. " That was it. At one go Kariya know what the older one's point was. And this was definitely nothing he wanted to discuss with him of all people. Realising the younger ones shock – it was the best description he could come up with – Hiroto made an addition to his sentence."I know that this is a topic you rather do not want to talk about but we have to inform you at young age about protection." Kariya wondered for a short moment who "we" were before he said something for the first time he saw Hiroto today. "No need to. I'm able to use the internet and, honestly, our generation is not as prude as yours." Okay, he was not convinced by the last part himself because he knew enough guys at his school who looked ashamed when someone only mentioned this topic indirectly, but Hiroto didn't need to know. "Oh, really?" The defender wasn't sure what surprised him more – the fact that Hiroto didn't considered that Kariya knew how to get his information or the relief he seemed to show.

"So, if you would excuse me now", the younger one started but was immediately interrupted. "Since I don't need to explain anything, I can ask you what sister Hitomiko told me to." Now he was curious. Even though Kariya was sure that he would regret that he stayed, he couldn't help but to listen to the other one. "She wanted to know if you and your boyfriend already went this far."

With an expression torn between confusion and horror, Kariya looked at Hiroto, asking himself if he really understood the right thing. Apparently, he did since the other one looked at him expectantly, not bothered by his reaction. "Well?" Everything sounded so wrong. May it be that they were talking about a boyfriend and the fact that Hiroto didn't care about that, may it be that they considered Kariya to be this hormon-driven or may it be that Kariya had to think about Kirino. The last one might be the worse, he realised. He wasn't fond of his Senior, not at all. Alright, he was lying to himself. Maybe he liked him. But just a bit. A bit more than he liked other people. Though it was apparently enough for the adults to call him his boyfriend. "Kirino is not anything near that", he mumbled, not even able to use the word boyfriend in the same breath.

"I didn't mention him." Caught. Kariya looked embarrassed at the floor, cheeks redden furiously and hands clasping around his cup of tea. Hiroto just smiled to himself, not astonished that Hitomikos plan worked (it was her idea all along, he told Midorikawa when he wanted to lecture him). "It's fine. You should tell him though." This was the last thing Hiroto said before he bid farewell and left Kariya with his feelings alone. It was a mix between bliss, embarrassment and wrath. He was blissful because – thank god – they didn't care about this gay thing. He was embarrassed because the thought of Kirino being possibly his boyfriend made him dizzy. And he felt wrath because _urgh, such a relationship would be disgusting and anyway why would he like me __and this stupid prickle won't stop but it makes me happy and – help why is everything so __complicated. _In the end, he fell asleep on the couch, overwhelmed by all this thoughts.

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><p>"Good morning, Kariya."<p>

He liked Hikaru, he really did, but the boy was, especially in the morning, too cheerful for his own sake. "Morning...", the defender answered with a yawn. Worriedly, Hikaru looked at his friend, asking if everything was alright because he looked like he didn't sleep much. Kariya simply said he shouldn't worry because he slept just fine – which was no lie. Kariya had been able to sleep longer than the previous days, perhaps because his special dream didn't occur. But this was something the other one didn't need to know. Easily, he moved the topic and even though the striker resisted at first, he quickly reacted to the changing topic; which was, of course, football. They talked about today's afternoon practise and even if it was something both agreed on, made them happy and lively, Kariya was nervous. It was the first time he saw his Senior after their little _incident. _And of course Hikaru realised his sudden nervousness, but he knew Kariya and was well aware that he wouldn't talk. So instead he decided to watch his friend in silence, to keep an eye on him if he needed any help.

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><p>The day flew by in an instant and before he realised it, Kariya was with Hikaru in the changing room, preparing for practise. "Good afternoon, Captain", Hikaru greeted Shindou who just stepped into the room. "Good afternoon", the brunet said, smiling at them before he changed into his uniform. And as quickly as he entered the room, he left it. "Captain looked a bit tense, don't you think so too?" Kariya just gave a shrug, tying his shoes while answering. "Guess he just hurries to meet up with Akane." "You still think that?", Hikaru asked, not sure if he should scold him or not. Kariya didn't answer. After all he thought that it was Kirino whom the brunet loved, not Akane. Nevertheless it was obvious, at least to him, that he talked more often and frequently to her. That's why he assumed that he just tried to escape the fact that he loved his best friend. Though since he talked to Kirino about their relationship he wasn't so sure about that anymore. Even if it was suspicious. Did Shindou love her all of a sudden, or...? This thoughts were interrupted when another member entered the room. It was – oh surprise – Kirino along with Tsurugi who chatted casually, the younger one acting respectfully like he always did towards his Seniors. Scratch that, Kariya though, it was just Kirino and the former third years he talked to like that. When he remembered correctly, he acted in the presence of Kurama, Hamano and Hayami as if they were equal. And Shindou? Now that he thought about it, didn't they quarrel a lot, especially lately?<p>

"I said good afternoon." Kariya blinked when Kirino waved with his hand in front of his face. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't realise their greeting. He mumbled a half-hearted "Good afternoon" before he headed for the field, ignoring the rest. Kirino just sighed, looking after the defender.

This seemed like an amusing training session, he thought, with a hint of sarcasm behind it

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><p>Kariya couldn't believe it. At first he wasn't sure, but halfway through practise, his suspicion, that Kirino ignored their kiss, grow. And after practise it was clear to him – Kirino was really ignoring what happened between them, just acted like usual. And this upset Kariya more than he wanted to admit. Actually he should be happy about it. No stupid explanation, no weird feelings and maybe he would forget everything. Yes, that sounded nice. He would just forget it.<p>

He didn't. After a week, he thought that these stupid feelings were almost gone and after two, he was assured. But the third one brought back that dream and all of a sudden, he was in a dilemma. It was a month after Tsurugi's birthday when he decided to talk to his Senior. He would confess whatever he felt and maybe Kirino would do as Hiroto indirectly told him. Or not. Either way he could pretend it was a joke and in the end it wouldn't be that bad, would it? That was what he thought, but when he asked Kirino to stay after practise, he wasn't certain anymore as he received a confused glanced; yet Kirino agreed.

It was awkward. Kariya didn't understand himself anymore. Why was it so hard? "Kariya? What do you want to talk about." "As if you don't know", he wanted to say, but stopped himself. At least Kirino seemed to be in a rather good mood. But how should he start without ruining this mood? "Kariya?" The older defender looked expectantly at him, waiting for an answer. "You... I...", he stammered, confusing the other one with his unusual behaviour. He took a deep breath and when he finally knew what to say, a loud noise made both of them jolt. They shared a short glance before they decided to postpone their talk and look after the sound.

"Don't make fun of me!" Kirino winced when he heard his best friend's voice. Carefully, he and Kariya looked around the corner to see Shindou and Tsurugi standing behind the club room, sheltered by various trees. The brunet seemed pretty upset – his fist against the heavy tree which has caused the sound – while Tsurugi reacted almost nonchalantly. "I'm talking to you!" It was obvious that the striker didn't care until Shindou grabbed him by the collar. "I'm not", Kyousuke answered when it looked like Shindou would punch him any seconds. Kirino almost decided to jump between them but to all of their surprise, Shindou suddenly let go and left without another word. Tsurugi was as confused as the silent observers but soon he was blind with rage – they couldn't tell if it was anger about Shindou, himself or another person – and headed back to the field (they didn't need to be a genius to know that he would shoot a few balls to calm himself down). "I'm wondering what's wrong. They got pretty well along after the Football Frontier and everything", Kirino pointed out, worried about his friend. Kariya in contrary didn't care. He had to admit that he thought that both seemed pretty close for a while though because of Kirino he assumed that the brunet loved his best friend while Tsurugi loved another certain brunet. But was it really like that? He wasn't so sure about it anymore. "Well, I guess I'll ask him later. And? What was it you wanted to talk to me?"

This sudden question took Kariya by surprise since he forgot the reason of their meeting until now. "Well..." Suddenly, he wasn't so sure about his idea anymore. Was it truly the right thing? "I..." He took another depth breath before he decided for the possible worst option (but it was better than making a fool out of himself because of his feelings) "just wanted to see if you are still that easy to lure. You shouldn't be so easy to talk to alone. What if an older person had asked you, do you know what he could have done to you?" Kariya grinned mischievously, trying his best to hide the truth of this obvious lie. It worked, Kariya realised, when he felt Kirino's hand on his cheeks, slapping him, not hard enough to leave a red bruise but still hard enough to leave slight pain. He was a bit shocked – he knew that Kirino's patience was not eternally though he had never hit him before. He lay his own hand on his cheek, realising that it was the first time because Shindou had stopped Kirino all the times before. And somehow, he was glad. "Stop treating me like a toy, Kariya. I'm sick of it. If you hate me, say it. But don't make things up." And with these words he left the young man who, later one, almost drowned in self-pity.

Confessing, how stupid was he? It was impossible. Kirino wasn't interested, hated, almost loathed him. His reaction to his kiss must have happened out of pity or was even an after-effect of his own delirium. He just stood there for a while before he decided to go home. At the gate he meet Tsurugi who was his composed self again. They walked a bit together neither saying anything nor wanting to. Until Kariya couldn't bear it.

"What would you do if you really like someone?"

"Tell him."

"And if it doesn't work?"

"Show him."

It was not much, but for the moment, it was enough. "Thank you." "No problem." They didn't look at each other after that, underlining the unspoken request to forget this little talk.

* * *

><p>Kariya thought about a way to talk with Kirino in private again after their last meeting. Waiting for him after practise? Dragging him away? No. Either he was together with Shindou or he was earlier finished changing than Kariya. The feeling, that he avoided him, grew stronger from day to day. "Kariya?" Hikaru looked at his friend, concern shining in his eyes and revealing his worry. "You don't seem okay lately." He just hummed, gaze fixing on his older teammate which dragged Hikaru's attention. "Want to talk about it?" His friend shook his head, a sign which caused Hikaru to do something Kariya might hate him for later one. But he just couldn't bear his friend's silent suffering anymore. And the short gaze he threw at Kirino had told him enough. It was time for him to take matters in his own hands.<p>

"Kirino?" The defender turned around, looking at Hikaru in slight confusion. "Yes? What is it?", Kirino wanted to know when the younger one asked for a favour only he could grant him. "Please talk to Kariya." "I'm sorry, I – " "I know that he can be a bit stupid sometimes but please, it is important." He sighed. Honestly he had so much things on his mind – Kariya included – that his head ached but maybe, he thought, talking with Kariya would solve one problem, resulting in a chain reaction. And he just couldn't refuse Hikaru anything. "Fine, I consider it." "Thank you." A smile was on his lips when he saw their striker's happy face. "You won't regret it, I promise." And somehow, Kirino knew or at least hoped that he was right.

* * *

><p>Kariya was surprised when Hikaru told him to go behind the school building since someone awaited him there. And if he hadn't plead so much, Kariya wouldn't have gone. But now he stood here, just a few inches away from his Senior who lent against a wall, arms crossed in front of his chest. "Hikaru asked me to talk with you." Oh, how much had he missed this voice? This clear voice without any hint of disgust or hate. "Want to explain yourself?" His legs moved on his own, guiding him in front of Kirino. "Explain what?", Kariya asked sanctimoniously, well aware that he would piss off his Senior again with this kind of question. But he wasn't prepared to meet him now and had no clue what to say – even though this was the situation which had replayed in his head for a few days now, over and over again. And the outcome was always different. However in this moment every single one of the possible occurrences vanished, leaving his mind blank.<p>

He could already see how his Senior's arms tighten nevertheless he didn't say anything because Kirino didn't want to lose his self-control again. "Your behaviour towards me? Your actions in general. Or the kiss?" When Kirino mentioned the last point, Kariya flinched. Nothing which went unnoticed by Kirino. "So the kiss is it what you want to explain? Go on." Refusing to meet his eyes, Kariya bit his lips, still unsure about what to say. "You don't love Shindou, do you?"

"We already talked about this, didn't we? I thought you understand that we are just friends", he replied, rather annoyed at his junior's question. How often did he intend to ask this? The answer wouldn't change. The only thing which changed was Kariya's reaction as Kirino realised. He seemed pretty relieved in contrary to the last time. "Do you love someone else then?" And this caught him off-guard. Kariya still didn't dare to look him in the eyes, that's why he missed the confusion on his senior's face – not that he needed to see it. He was aware that this was a stupid question to ask a male if you weren't a lovesick schoolgirl, trying to confess; not that Kariya was on, wasn't he? The younger one paused for a moment. He didn't want to act like one of these girls. He should be on equal terms with the other one when it came to their gender and anyway – there was no way that he was the same as these stupid girls who got rejected and cried afterwards. This was it. Kariya made up his mind and finally took matters into his own hands – there was no way that he would act like a coward now. And since Kirino didn't answer, there was no problem with it, right?

"Then I guess you don't mind if I'll do this."

Before Kariya could see the hesitation and the conflicted emotions on Kirino's face – a result of the last question – he came closer and stood on tiptoe right in front of his Senior. He pressed his lips against Kirino's, not yielding when no reaction came. He wouldn't stop even if his lips were swollen afterwards or his breath faded away. And suddenly, Kirino's hands were on his hips, pushing him away before they grabbed his wrist and pressed him against the wall.

"You'll regret this", Kirino said, seemingly struggling with himself. It was then when Kariya realised that Kirino was preoccupied with the same thoughts he had been, that it was harder for him since he was the older one who had to fulfil the "wise" role. And that he had been upset because Kariya had obliviously played with his feelings the last time. "Shut up." It was not as commanding as he intended it to be but it took the tension away and elicited the older one a soft laugh. "Fine, as you wish."

And before he could comprehend, Kariya felt his lips – which were not as soft as he remembered – on his own, one arm around his hip, pressing them closer and one hand brushing trough his hair. It felt more right than wrong and if it weren't for their current location, he would have gone further. Kirino looked like he had the same idea since his hand in the blue hair made his way down to Kariya's thighs, caressing his neck and side along the way, tempted to go further. The touch sent shivers down his spine, such a new feeling yet at the same time it was a pure pleasure. However it was not just the current location nor his common sense which made them pause. As if the whole universe was against their little time together – Kariya almost believed this – a loud voice disturbed them. At first they wanted to ignore it though when it turned out to be Shindou's voice, Kirino let go of Kariya, though not without cursing slightly.

"Let's take a look." Without another word, Kirino took the younger one, who was not able to handle the other ones actions yet, by the hand and pulled him towards their Captain.

This time it was Tsurugi who almost screamed at Shindou. "It's not my fault!" "And why did you even do it in the first place?" The defenders shared a short, confused glanced, not having the slightest idea what the two were talking about. "How could I've known that Matsukaze liked me in that way?!" So that was it. Finally Kariya understood their problem in contrary to Kirino who still hadn't any clue. "It's about Tenma. Everyone thinks he and Tsurugi were going out but it seems Tsurugi thought otherwise", he whispered to this Senior who looked even more confused now, whispering a "They aren't?"

It was amusing how wrong their interpretation of one single action was, Kariya realised not for the first time. He really was a cautious person – he had to be, after all he didn't want to trust any person who could harm him – but when it was about love, his first guess was always wrong, so it seemed. "Are you stupid? It was obvious. Damn it, you shared a bed with him and you always smile when he is around! And so does he!" Like the last time, Kirino prepared himself to jump between them any seconds as soon as he saw how Tsurugi clenched his fists. "So what? He IS my friend! Don't you and Kirino act like this too?"

Shindou realised that he had a point there. Indeed the two friends have shared his bed often enough though they had been younger when they did so. But since Tsurugi's and Tenma's friendship wasn't as long as theirs had been, it explained this new experience. Didn't they have any friends back then whose friendship was similar to the one they had now? Surely not, Shindou thought and suddenly, he felt guilty. What was he thinking? He overreacted, just because he couldn't control his own stupid emotions.

"You should talk to Tenma. He needs your view to comprehend", he finally said quietly. "Yeah, I guess so." It seemed like both of them had calmed down, as if the whole tension faded away. Kirino sighed in relief, still a bit confused about his friends action. He decided to talk to his best friend later on about this issue – and casually he could tell him about his and Kariya's relationship.

Suddenly he paused for a second, glancing at the younger one – they were together now, weren't they? He really wanted to confirm that but the younger one rather paid attention to his other teammates who started to talk again. "I'm sorry." Tsurugi's sudden excuse was a bit confusing however Shindou just shook his head. "Don't be. It was my fault. I just..." Shindou stopped himself as if the was afraid of his own words. "I wonder what's wrong", Kirino whispered, curious about their next step. Honestly it was something Kariya had thought about the whole time and still he had no idea. But then it hit him – he remembered the sudden occasions Shindou and Tsurugi bickered, the brunets frequent talks with Akane he was suspicious about and his own reaction when he realised his feelings for Kirino. "He loves him but isn't aware of that yet. Or he is and doesn't want to admit it."

"Just like you?" This question surprised Kariya and he immediately turned a shade redder which already answered Kirino's question. "Let's go", he said, rather amused about Kariya's reaction. "Don't you want to know how it ends?", Kariya asked him when he was dragged along, away from the scene. "You know as well as I do that this won't come to a solution right now, besides..." Kirino paused a moment to turn around and look at Kariya. "There are better things to do, don't you think?"

In this moment, Kariya decided that this seductive look suited Kirino more than an angry one.

* * *

><p>That's it. I hope you liked it somehow. It's my little christmas present~ I wish you a happy Christmas (even if you don't celebrate it) and a good start for the next year~<p>

I just hope I can finsh my Fudou/Kidou fic next year, untill then...

Bye for now :3


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